Uncle Khalid’s wife executed

THE last words Mala Mohammed, wife of popular Princes Town supermarket proprietor “Uncle Khalid” (Khalid Mohammed) uttered before being shot dead, execution style, were “Take whatever you want, but spare my life!” Seconds after pleading for her life with an armed man, Mohammed slumped to the ground in the driveway of her Princes Town home and bled to death, after being shot in the back of the head and right upper back, on Monday night.  

Her murder has sent shock waves throughout Princes Town and environs, where the Mohammed family is well known. Mohammed’s husband, Khalid, who was in Miami at the time of her murder, returned home yesterday evening and into the arms of crying relatives. Police have not held anyone in connection with the murder. Southern Division detectives told Newsday because nothing was stolen from Mohammed, 46, who at the time had in her possession US$3,000 and TT$3,000, the killing may very well have been a planned execution, ordered by persons unknown. However, other than the “hit” theory, police said they had no other motive for the killing. Mohammed had just returned from having dinner with close family friend Cindy Jaimungal at Jaimungal’s La Romaine home. “I can’t believe what happened — one minute she left my home smiling and the next thing I heard is that she was shot dead,” a sombre Jaimungal told Newsday yesterday.

Mohammed’s husband went to Miami last Thursday to be with his son who had celebrated his birthday. He cut short the visit on hearing news of his wife’s death. The businessman was supposed to have returned home tomorrow. When Newsday visited the house of mourning yesterday, relatives and friends who had gathered said “Uncle Khalid” was in a state of shock and could not speak to the media. Other persons said they were puzzled over the motive behind  Mohammed’s murder. According to police reports, Mohammed was returning home after having dinner at Jaimungal’s home and the maid, Saleen Sookoo, said at around 11.30 pm, Mohammed called and said she would arrive home in 15 minutes time. Sookoo told police that the watchman, Harripersad Teemul, opened the gate for Mohammed when she arrived in her green Volvo, so she could reverse the vehicle into the garage.

Sookoo said a masked man approached Teemul, placed a cutlass to his neck and ordered him to lie face down on the ground. Sookoo said Mohammed had already exited the car when another man approached her from behind and placed a gun to her neck. Sookoo said she heard Mohammed blurt out, “Take whatever you want, just spare my life.” The maid told police the cutlass-wielding intruder spotted her (Sookoo) by the window and told his friend, “do fast nah boy.” Two shots rang out and Mohammed slumped to the ground while both intruders ran through a gate at the back of the house and escaped into nearby bushes. A report was made to Princes Town police and a team of officers led by ACP Dennis Graham, Supt Rajindranath Maharaj, ASP Joseph Nathaniel and including Insp Fitzgerald George (Southern Division Homicide Bureau) and Sgt Errol Ramdath visited and cordoned off the crime scene, awaiting the arrival of the DMO.

Officers also carried out a futile mobile search of the surrounding area for the killers, who up to late yesterday remained at large. An autopsy carried out yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in Federation Park, concluded that Mohammed died from shock and haemorrhage consistent with two gunshot wounds. Sgt Ramdath of the Princes Town Police Station is continuing investigations.